


Disrespect

by LBibliophile



Series: The Duty of a Prince [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bingo Fill, Gen, Poetry, Protective Zuko (Avatar), War, Whumptober 2020, image edit, the sacrifice of the 41st
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26593963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LBibliophile/pseuds/LBibliophile
Summary: I never meant to speak out… butsomeonehad to.For Whumptober 2020 - day 9: For the greater good
Relationships: Lu Ten & Zuko
Series: The Duty of a Prince [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1934569
Comments: 10
Kudos: 54
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Disrespect

I never meant to speak out.  
I gave Uncle my word that, if granted entry,  
I would watch and learn and stay silent.

I never meant to speak out.  
Those Generals have led the War for decades;  
Though Prince, I am only a child.

I never meant to speak out.  
I _know_ that they must make the hard decisions,  
That war demands sacrifice; I am not so naïve.

I never meant to speak out.  
But they spoke of our soldiers like tiles on a Pai Sho board,  
Throwing away lives on a clever gambit.

I never meant to speak out… but _someone_ had to.  
Because those old men with their maps, none of them _cared_.  
When all I could see…  
…was ten thousand Lu Tens.

**Author's Note:**

> I was surprised that I haven't seen the Lu Ten comparison more often when people talk about Zuko's reaction to the plan to sacrifice the soldiers of the 41st. Because he is clearly morally opposed, but the strength of his outburst suggests a more personal influence as well. As a prince, Lu Ten would have been infinitely better trained, better equipped and more valuable than the standard soldier - but when Zuko imagines the soldiers as people, he sees his cousin and how much the news of his death hurt.


End file.
